Laughter
by Ragehappy Mavin Fan
Summary: "Did ye jus' laugh me lil' bairn?" Demelza looked down to her smiling daughter in something akin to both elation and surprise. The small babe only laughed at her mother in response and caused Demelza to break into tears. Demelza Carne/Ross Poldark


**These one-shots are not in chronological order and if they are then they are unintentional.**

 **Paring: Demelza Carne/Ross Poldark**

 **Rating: T**

 **Poldark belongs to Winston Graham.**

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Morning light streamed into the master bedroom in Nampara on such a fine morning, and with great care Ross Poldark sat up and stretched. Next to him was his sleeping wife Demelza; the poor woman needed all the rest she could get. Being the mother of one Julia Poldark was pretty taxing, even for Ross who was used to doing manual labor.

Speaking of Julia, the little babe was just staring at the ceiling as she played with her fingers. Her chubby cheeks were raised in a smile as she noticed her father from the corner of her eyes. She raised her head as much as she could for a four month old, but she hadn't quite mastered that yet and grew frustrated. Before she could belt out in tears Ross had swiftly crossed the room to her little cot.

"Good morning my little princess," he cooed to her as he held her tenderly in his arms. Little Julia was happy that someone was up with her and clutched at Ross, her little fingers digging into his shirt and skin. Her cotton covered head was pressed into the crook of her father's neck as he walked out of the room quietly. "Your mother needs all the sleep that she can find little one," Ross enjoyed talking to Julia even if she couldn't comprehend it.

Her babble kept Ross smiling as he moved to the kitchen, Prudie was awake but barely as he opened the door.

"G' mornin' suh," she greeted.

"Prudy, do you mind fetching some goat's milk for Julia?" he asked as his daughter began to suck on her thumb.

"Tis no' a pr'blem suh," if it weren't for Prudie's soft spot for Julia then he was sure that the woman would have kicked up a fuss.

He took a seat on one of the benches in the kitchen as Julia babbled in her baby talk. Her smile was infectious and Ross found himself grinning as little Julia stared up at him. Shuffling noises from above signaled that Demelza was now awake and stumbling around.

Ross smiled at the thought of her trying to find her knickers that landed somewhere in the room after their little 'match'.

When his wife made it into the kitchen with her hair pulled into a hasty bun and her red 'mistress of the house' gown on she immediately sought out Julia. "There be m' lil' bairn!" she called happily. She lifted the brown haired child out of her father's arms and sat next to Ross, his left arm pulled her in closer.

"My dear Demelza, where is my 'Good Morning'?"

"I' be wh're me cors't is, lost," came her snarky reply.

This was the reason why Ross loved her so much, she was not afraid to say what was on her mind like the other women in his social class. Demelza was a force to be reckoned with and if you weren't careful then you would pay something fierce. He gave her a peck on the cheek as Prudie came back to the kitchen with the goat's milk in a small bowl. "Ma'am, suh," she greeted the two before not so subtly taking a bottle of wine on her way out of the kitchen.

Demelza raised her eyes at the goat's milk and looked to Ross, "You were sleeping, and I wished not to wake you."

"Oh?" she questioned him playfully and pulled at his cheek. He turned his head and tried to nip at her fingers causing the two of them to burst into laughter. Then the sound of a smaller, more delicate laughter joined the two parents. Causing them to pause and look down at the only other person in the room. "Did ye jus' laugh me lil' bairn?" Demelza looked down to her smiling daughter in something akin to both elation and surprise.

The small babe only laughed at her mother in response and caused Demelza to break into tears.

"Demelza?"

"She be growin' so fast! My littlin' be growin'!"

Ross smiled fondly at his wife and child as Demelza did everything she could to make Julia burst into more laughter. The sounds filled Nampara with something that had been missing since Ross was a child. It was filled with a familial type of warmth, something that he sorely missed after he came home from the American War. His curly hair was suddenly being pulled on by his little princess and he feigned death.

"She killed me!" he cried out dramatically as he slid to the floor with Julia watching his every move. This only made her giggle even more and Demelza carefully set her down next to Ross on the floor.

"Wha' are we gonna do, me lil' bairn?"

It seemed that Julia had an agenda of her own and raised her little hands before smacking them down on her father's face. Julia was delighted by the groans of fake pain that Ross was over dramatizing. With her mother's silent encouragement Julia kept on with her little game, when without warning Ross opened his mouth and lightly bit at her small hand.

Once her surprise turned to delighted laughter Ross grabbed his child and got to his feet quickly, he spun around in small circles and his heart was filled with warmth. His small family was more than happy this morning, and he intended to keep it that way.

"Alright my little Princess, enough of that now. Tis time to break the fast," and he handed her over to Demelza who raised the small bowl of milk in one hand and carried her daughter with ease in the other. Julia, having been spoiled on breast milk, was rather disappointed by this turn of events; but even at a young age she could tell that her mother was stern.

She allowed herself to drink half of the bowl before demanding to by put down, and the first thing she did when put on the ground was crawl over to her father. "She be a Papa's lil girl. 'Er poor Mumma ne'er stood no chance," Demelza mourned. Ross only smirked as he looked down at his daughter from his seat, her little face was pulled into a smile.

One that ensured she would get her way.

And who was Ross to stand in her way?

"I know that smile dear Princess," and if possible she smiled even wider, "We have time to ride on Darkie."

Demelza sighed contentedly as she listened to the sweet sounds of her husband and daughter laughing together; there was nothing better in the world. This was something she would cherish for the rest of her years on this earth.

She put on her apron and pushed the hair from her eyes as she got flour and water together. In about thirty minutes the two would be hungry without a doubt, but for now she would work to the sounds of such a happy family.

And the sounds of a disgruntled Jud and Prudie as Darkie raced by their napping area of the moment.

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 **CUTENESS ALL THE WAY!**

 **Ragehappy Mavin Fan**


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